The Change of Alveolar-capillary Barrier by Germanium in Acute Lung Injury Induced by Lipopolysaccharide

ABSTRACT Acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS), also known as an acute inflammatory lung disease is developed by vari-ous factors that is originated from the destruction of alveolar-capillary barrier, and neutrophils plays an important role inthe destruction. The study intended to confirm, the anti-inflammatory effect of germanium, whether a lung injury has beenmitigated with the reduction of injury in alveolar-capillary barrier resulting from inhibition of neutrophils migration inlung tissue. Test groups were divided in saline administered CON, 5 hours of endotoxin administered LPS and 5hours ofendotoxin administered Ge + LPS following 1hours of pre-processed germanium. 100μg endotoxin was melted in 0.5mLsaline and sprayed into airway and 26mg germanium per 100g weight was administered into abdominal cavity. The endotoxin group which induced an acute lung injury with administered endotoxin showed dramatic increase ofpulmonary edema(p⁄0.001), protein contents in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid, BALF(p⁄0.05) and neutrophils of infil-tration in BALF (p⁄0.001) comparing with a control group, while a pre-treated germanium group showed significantdecrease in all categories comparing to the endotoxin administerd group. In the result of a microscopic observation, thestructure of alveolar-capillary barrier which is constructed with basal lamina, alveolar type I cells and endothelial cellwere preserved of the pre-treated germanium group relatively well compare to the endotoxin administered group. And theconstruction of lamellar body, microvilli and basal lamina of alveolar type II cells were also preserved relatively well.Hence, germanium activates as an anti-Inflammatory mediator in other words, it interfered neutrophils migration into lungtissue, thereby reduced injury of alveolar-capillary barrier from toxic substances of activated neutrophils. Consequently,the study has determined that the acute lung injury induced by endotoxin has been decreased by the pre-treated germanium.Keywords : Acute lung injury, Germanium, Alveolar-capillary barrier